Ballito cyclists outpaced at SA Champs
The event saw top cyclists from across the country vie for the titles.
Weeks of hard work, training and thousands of kilometres clocked on the road paid dividends for hundreds of cyclists who recently took part in the 2019 SA Road National Championships in Pretoria.
The event, which was held from 7 – 10 February, saw top cyclists from across the country vie for the titles, with four Ballito cyclists stepping up to take part in the challenging road race.
Former SA Champs title holder Heidi Dalton went into this year’s event guns blazing, as she put on an incredible display throughout the race.
In the gruelling Pretoria heat, Dalton, alongside her Demacon women’s team, stayed ahead of the game for majority of the race.
“I was feeling really, really good and I was always up in front. It was a positive race,” said Dalton.
However, a mechanical at the bottom of the famous Tom Jenkins hill climb, only a few kilometres from the finish line, resulted in ultimate defeat as she experienced irreversible damage to her chain.
The remaining three Ballito cyclists, Natalie Bergstrom (40 – 49 Vets), Gary Doyle (35 – 39 Vets) and Julian Bryant (45 – 49 Vets), were also unsuccessful in their attempts to finish.
“Preparation went really well, but a whole lot of things did not work in our favour on the day,” said Doyle. “I think the pace and the heat was too much.
“It’s SA Road Champs – you are racing against the top guys in the country and it is the luck of the draw on that day.”
Despite the disappointing finish, Doyle said the level of cycling in SA was incredibly high across the age groups, from the Elites right through to the Vets, which was promising to see.
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